Gregory qefidom



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. GERDOM. BREEGH LOADING ORDNANGE.

Paten'tedApixZ8, 1891.

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-GHEGOHY GEHDOM,

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

e. GERDOM. BREEGH LOADING ORDNANGE.

Patented Apr. 28,1891.

1 eziumeuo mu: Eid l M w m. n. a w no I m QuHHEd. do i v 'fiqd UNITED STATES PATENT Ute ine...

GREGORY GERDOM, OF WEST TROY, NElV YURK.

,BREEIcH-LoAnmc onnnawca.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,241, dated April 28, 1891.

7 Application filed May 20,1890. Serial No. 352.592. (Nomodeh) .Toall whom it mayconcern:

Be it-known that I, GREGORY GERDOM, of West Troy, in the county of Albany and State of NewYork, have invented new'and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Ordnance, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to improvements in breech-loading ordnance, and it relates especiallyto the construction of the breech and,

breech-block of this class of ordnance.

The object of my invention is to simplifythe construction'andto render the operations of openingand closing the breech less complex than in the ordinary mode of construction. I attain this object by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which are herein referred to and form part of this specification, and in-which-' Figure 1 is a horizontal longitudinal section-of part of the breech of a cannon provided with my improvements, with thebreechpiece. and carrier-ring secured in position to close the breech of the cannon, shown in plan View. Fig. 2'is. a like section showing the breech-piece in position to open the breech of the cannon. Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end elevation in outline ot the breech of the cannon without the breech-piece, and Fig. 5 is an outline transverse section of the breech-piece detached from the carrier-ring.

As heretoforecommonlyconstructed,breechloading ordnance, the breech of the cannon,

and its breech block have been provided with corresponding sectorsof screw-threads, and the breech-block has been fitted to receive an endwise sliding movement in a carrier 'ing movement into or out of the opening of 1 the breech, and a swinging movement on the hinge-j oint of the carrier-ring, and these three movements are required to efiect either an opening or closing of the breech of the cannon. By my invention the endwise-sliding movement of the brecch block is dispensed with. Thereby a-saving of two inovements is end of the bore of the cannon.

and lower sides of said chamber are provided withsegmenta-l sections of screw-threads 0., whose length is preferably-made equal tothe length of the chord of an arc of ninety degrees of a. circle whose diameter equals the larger diameterof the screw-threads.. Alateral opening 13, whose height is equal to the length of the chord above referred to, is formed in one side of said chamber. The opposite side of the latter is divested of screwthreads and has a concave surface for a space which corresponds to the height of said opening, and the length of said opening equals the length of the screw-threaded portion of said chamber. The outer part of said opening at the side of the cannon is lengthened' to form part of the hinge-joint fora carrier-ring.

E is the breech block, having a screwthreaded portion F, which corresponds to the screw-threads-G, formed in the chamber B of the breech of the cannon. Said threaded portion is flattened bythe removal of segments from its opposite sides to reduce the thickness of said threaded portion to correspond to the height of the opening D, through which said portion of the breech-block is fitted to swing with freedom. The inner end of said breechblock has a coniform extension F, which enters a tapering enlargement of the rearmost Said coniform extension .is provided with a gascheck G, of a common and well'known construction, which forms a gas-tight stopper for the hereof the cannon at its rearmost end; but it should be understood said gas-check forms no part of my invention, and any other form of gascheck may be substituted therefor when preferred. Near the outer end of said breechblock, justbeyond the threaded portion F, a cylindrical portion of said block is fitted to turn-loosely in the bore of acarrier-ring H, in which said breech-block is constantlyretained. Said cylindrical portionof the breech-block is provided with a short groove I, (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2,) which conforms to tho angle'of the screw-thread on said breech-block, and into said groove the point of a screw J enters to limit the rotative movement of the breech-block and to prevent the latter from being accidentally detached from the carrierring II. The screw J isscrewed into the carrier-ring- II to form a permanent part thereof, and the groove I is enlarged at the end,which stopsthe rotative motion of the breech-block in the operation of screwing the latterinto the cannon-breech, and by this enlargement the carrier-ring I and screw J are relievedfro-m the danger of being damaged by reason of any shock due to the explosion of the charge in the cannon. The outer end of the breechblock E is enlarged to form ahead K, which has a greater diameter than the bore of the carrier-ring II, and which projects rearwardly beyond the outerface of said ring; is provided with lugs L, to which a lockinglever' M is hinged by means of a hinge-pin N, and said locking-lever atfords the means for turning the breech-block II in the operations of screwing and unscrewing-the latter int-0 and out of the breech ot; the cannon. v

The locki ng-lever'M is provided with an opening or indentation O for receiving a spring-catch, as-hereinafter explained.

The carrier-ring II is provided with an arm I, which. is integral with it, and. which extends at right angles from its inner face for the purpose of forming a hinge-joint for said carrier-ring with the breech of the cannon.

Said arm enters a forward extension ofthe op'eningD and forms a hinge-joint therein by means-oi joint-pin Q, which passes through the hole in said arm and corresponding holes in the breech of' the cannon. By means of the arm P the carrier-ring His provided with an offset hinge, which extends forwardly into the opening D, and thereby provision is made for swinging the breech-block II, through said opening directly into the chamber B,'into a position where the screw-threads of said breech-block can properly engage with the screw-threads in said chamber, and by this means the sliding movement commonly required for engaging the screwthreaded breech-block inthe breech of a cannon is rendered superfiuous.- The outer face of the carrier-ring ll is provided with lugs R,-between which the locking-leverM enters to effect the locking of the breech-block E, and one'of said lugs ispreferably provided with a spring-catch S or other suitable fastening, that is fitted to engage in the opening 0 or other part. of said lever for the purpose of sethe breech-block in the breech of the cannon.

The ca rier-ringli hasa handle'l on its outer face, IT'wolttbly on the .side opposite to the arm I, for the purpose of affording means for swinging the a; w

Said head manner: Promising that. the breech-block L screwed into the breech of the cannon and is locked therein by the locking-lever M, as shown in Fig. 3, the latter is first drawn out from between the lugs R and turned upward into a position where it will serve as a lever for the purposc'of unscrewing the breechblock. Vhcn the latter has been unscrewed, the carrier-ring II is swung by means of the handle '1 tocarry the breech-block E into the position shown in Fig. 2, whereby the bore of the cannon will be opened for the reception of ammunition at its breech, and in said position the inner end of the flattened sides of the breech-block will be retained in the opening D, whereby said breech-block will be prevented from rotating in the carrier-ring H, ready for its retm-ninto chamber B, and when the latter is accomplished a quarter-revolution is imparted tonsaid breech-block by means of the lever M to-screw the breech block home in the breech of 't-he'cannon. Then the lever M is swung downward and caught by the spring-catch S to lock the breech-block E in its closed position.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by- Letters Patent,- isl The combination of a breech-loading cannon having a breech-chamber of a greater diameter than the bore of the'cannon, said chamber being provided with segmental sections of screw-threads and having a slotted opening which leads radially from one side of said chamber through the perimeter of the breech of the cannon, the diameter of said opening being substantiallythe same as the chordal length of the segments of said screw-threads,

and a breech-block embracing a cylindrical portion and a screw-threaded portion, the latter having a cross-sectional form of the zone of a'cylinder, whose minor diameter is fitted to swing. loosely in the slotted'opening of the breech and whose major diameter is provided with segmental sections of screw-threads fitted to engage in the screw-threads in said breech-chamber,substantially as herein speci- 2. The combination of abreech-loading cannon having a breech-chamber provided with segmental sections of screw-threads and having 'a slotted opening which leads radially from said chamber through the perimeter of the breech of said cannon, the diameter of said opening being substantially same as the chordal length of the segments of said screw-threads, a breech-block embracing a cylindrical portion and a screw-threaded portion whichhas the cross-sectional form'of the f a zone of a cylinder, whose minor diameter is curing the locking-lever 1n POSlIlOll-tO lock arm forming an offset hinge-joint, whereby saidbreechblock can be swung inio and out of said breech-chamber, substantially as specified.

3. In a breech-closing mechanism i'or ordnance, the combination of a carrier-ring provided with astop-screw whose point'projects into the bore of said ring, and a breech-block fitted loosely in said ring and provided with a groove into which the point of said stopscrew enters and whereby. the rotative movement of said breech-block is limited in both directions,'one end of said groove being enlarged, asand for the purpose herein specified.

4. In a breech-closing mechanism for ordnanc'e, the combination of a breech-block fitted to be secured into the breech-chamber of a cannon by means of screw-threads and having a looking-lever hinged thereto, whereby said breech-block may be rotated, of a car- GREGORY GERDOM.

Vitnesses.

WM. H. Low, S. B. BREWER. 

